The Savage Sword of Conan #227

This November 1994 issue kicks off "The Four Ages of Conan" — a sweeping look at the Cimmerian from boy to king — with a brooding, atmospheric cover by John Watkiss that sets the tone perfectly. Against a swirling backdrop of deep reds and shadows, a muscular Conan looms powerfully over a fallen, robed figure, radiating the raw menace that defines the barbarian at his most formidable. Roy Thomas handles the script for the interior tale "Day of Manhood," with art by Fred Harper, promising the kind of sword-and-sorcery storytelling that has made Savage Sword essential reading.